Warrant issued for ex Haiti leader

Port-au-Prince.- A judge in Haiti’s capital on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for former president Jean Bertrand Aristide on charges of malfeasance and money laundering, after failed to appear before the office the magistrate, Haiti outlet HCNN reports quoting sources.

“Investigating judge Lamarre Belizaire issued Aristide was expected at the judge’s office to answer questions, as part of a criminal investigation which also involved dozens of former allies of the ex-leader who have been banned from leaving the country,” the outlet said.

Also quoting a source close to the case, HCNN reports that the judge issue the bench warrant on Aristide’s a subpoenaed to appear the judge can issue an arrest warrant to force the person to appear.

“The judge was at his office waiting for Mr. Aristide to appear, he never saw him, while other allies of the former President have been commenting the content of the warrant on the air, which means, they are in possession of the document,” HCNN reports quoting a Judicial official.

The former President and dozens of his associates have been accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars during his term in office, 2001 to 2004.

Dominican link

Aristide, a former seminarian who despite being educated by the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic, was a harsh critic of Santo Domingo’s policies with Port-au-Prince.